New Music Business Briefing – Conference Chatter, Universal Execs Meet, Sonicbids Hooks With Starbucks & More

>>> Expect a number of interesting announcements this week as Digital Hollywood and P2P Media Summit and an exclusive VergeLA industry networking event al land in Santa Monica. The UK’s In The City music conference lands in NYC this week with music panels and showcases. Then of course there’s Steve Jobs unveiling who knows what at the Apple developers confab later today. Engadget will blog live here.

>>> Irish music companies have gone to court seeking file sharers names from ISP’s. (Irish Examiner)

>>> As we’ve reported Universal is likely to be next up with a large DRM free download offering.  We don’t expect public announcements but a lot may be decided this week as company execs are rumored to be meeting with the digital team in NYC this week. (see full update)

>>> The NY Times looks at a Billboard/LG Mobile contest to turn concert goers into critics via instant blogging from their cells and other mobile music marketing efforts.  (site reg. may be required)

>>> Starbucks New England and online EPK provider Sonicbids and Boston’s answer to SxSW NEMO
are spinning an unsigned band "Music Makers" competition.  The action begins on MySpace and
entries are via a special page on Sonicbids. Music portal Goombah handles some of the voting. Could the concept go national?

>>> After years of lobbying by Louisiana music giant Terrance Simien and his wife and manager Cynthia, the genre is finally getting its due with a new "Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album" category at the Grammys. Congrats. (more)

>>> Just because we wouldn’t want you to miss anything…Check out Hypebot’s compendium of last week’s news and as we hit mid-year get a chuckle over how good and bad our (and other) predictions for 2007 are doing.